The best safety matches, compared.
Top pick: Cooks safety matches Best value: Ship safety matches, 100 boxes – About £6.88 for 100 boxes, about 7p a box as a rule of thumb, with 4.7 from 1,627 reviews. Length is unstated. Updated 22.10.2026.
A household match is a wooden safety match. The oxidiser sits on the head and the red phosphorus sits on the box strip, so the stick lights on that strip and not on a wall. In the UK you buy matches to reach a sunken candle wick or to light the back of a stove. The stable split is a stated extra-long stick, about 94–100 mm, against a shorter box for a kitchen drawer or a power-cut cupboard. A useful box keeps its head on, does not snap, and still bites when the box is half empty. Length, box count and a printed count per box stay useful when the models change. Those checks are in the [matches buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/matches/sub/matches-buying-guide). Safety matches are not strike-anywhere matches. An unanswered waterproof line is not a feature, and “approx” is not a guaranteed stick count. If the title and the manufacturer field name different makers, that is a listing conflict, not proof the sticks are fake. Keep matches out of children’s sight and reach.
A household match is a wooden safety match. The oxidiser sits on the head and the red phosphorus sits on the box strip, so the stick lights on that strip and not on a wall.
18 products checked · 48 hrs invested · +16,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need the match to reach?
Cooks is a single box at £2.99, and the only size line is the package at 7 × 4 × 2.3 cm and 20 g. The star line is 5.0 from 2 reviews, and the saved listing has no review text, so that score is a sample of two rather than a verdict on how the sticks strike. Length, count, and stem are not stated, and the carton size is not a measurement of the match. The manufacturer field says Bryant & May, while the title says Cooks. The page asks whether it comes in a box and whether it is easy to light, and it answers neither. On a one-box basis it is the dearest row in this set, and it is not a quality result you can use to choose.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A spare single box only if you already know this Cooks size from a shop and do not need a stated length.
Less suitable: Any choice that depends on length, a match count, or a review sample you can read.
Specifications
Common questions
How long are Cooks safety matches?
The listing does not state a length or a match count. The package line says 7 × 4 × 2.3 cm and 20 g.
Does the listing say they come in a box?
The page asks whether it comes in a box and does not answer. Item package quantity is 1. The manufacturer field says Bryant & May.
Are they easy to light?
The listing asks whether it is easy to light and does not answer. There is no review text in the saved file. The star line is 5.0 from 2.
The Ship bulk is 100 wood-based safety-match boxes at £6.88 on amazon.co.uk, with 4.7 from 1,627 reviews, the largest file in this set. The listing states neither a stick length nor how many matches are in each box, and one buyer who counted many boxes reported an average of 38–39 while another mentioned about 37. Reviewers describe the boxes as small and the sticks as a little shorter and thinner than some other matches, and a repeat buyer says a later batch is thin enough to snap even though other buyers say theirs never break. One review mentions strikers on both sides of the box. The best-sellers line includes 1 in Car Starters, which is a category rank and not a description of the matches. Waterproof is asked on the page and not answered. Dividing £6.88 by 100 is about 7p a box, a rule of thumb, and that is why this is the best value here when a short stick is enough.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A kitchen drawer or a power-cut cupboard when you want many ordinary boxes and can accept a shorter stick.
Less suitable: Jar candles, the back of a stove, or any job that needs a stated length in millimetres.
Specifications
Common questions
How long are the Ship matches?
The listing does not state a length. Reviewers describe the boxes as small and the sticks as a little shorter and thinner than some other matches.
Does the listing say they are waterproof?
No. The page asks whether they are waterproof and does not answer. Waterproof is not stated.
How many matches are in each box?
The listing does not state a count. One reviewer who counted many boxes reported an average of 38–39. Another mentioned about 37.
This pack is five boxes at £7.99, with a bullet that says 95 mm wooden sticks, and 4.7 from 854 reviews. The title also adds an ABL Supplies matchbox. One review says that added box was a Swan box with 14 matches against 32, and another mentions loose matches from the small box, so the extra is not a sixth extra-long pack. The brand field says Riverbank Retail and the manufacturer field says Swedish Match Company, which is the only row here that names that manufacturer. The listing does not state how many sticks are in each extra-long box. Some reviews say the sticks are not particularly extra long, or shorter than the picture suggested. It is the five-box option when you want a 95 mm bullet and a large review file, and you should treat the small added box as a bonus reviewers have found short.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Several stated long boxes for candles, deep jars, and a wood burner, if the extra small box is incidental.
Less suitable: A buyer who only needs two boxes, or who will count the ABL box as a full extra-long pack.
Specifications
Common questions
How long are the matches?
The bullet says 95 mm. Some reviews say they are not particularly extra long, or shorter than the picture suggested.
What is the extra matchbox?
The title adds an ABL Supplies matchbox. One review says that added box was a Swan box with 14 matches against 32. Another mentions loose matches from the small box.
Who does the listing name as manufacturer?
The brand field says Riverbank Retail. The manufacturer field says Swedish Match Company. The title says Bryant & May.
The pack of two is £2.00, with a bullet of about 94 mm (stated as 3.75 inches) and about 45 matches a pack, and 4.7 from 752 reviews. The title says Bryant & May and lists candles, log burners, BBQs, and open fires, which is the job a household extra-long stick is for. The brand and manufacturer fields say EMBO, and the flavour and scent fields say Hickory, which the title does not describe. That mismatch is a listing conflict, not proof the sticks are fake. Reviews that wanted a fireside spill still treat this as a household long match, and one buyer says the grit on the strip wore too fast. Windproof is an unanswered question on the page. It is the top pick in this set when you want a stated extra-long household stick at the lowest pack price, and it is not an 11 inch fireside match.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Jar candles, lanterns, and a wood burner when you want a stated reach and only two boxes.
Less suitable: A multi-year cupboard of short matches, or a buyer who needs a fireside match around 280 mm.
Specifications
Common questions
How long are these extra-long matches?
The bullet says about 3.75 inches or 94 mm. Reviews that wanted a fire spill say that is still a household long match.
Are they windproof?
The listing asks whether these matches are windproof and does not answer. Windproof is not stated.
Why does the brand say EMBO?
The title says Bryant & May. The brand and manufacturer fields say EMBO. The flavour and scent fields say Hickory, which the title does not describe.
This five-box listing is £8.75, with 4.6 from 79 reviews, the thinner sample among the extra-long packs. The bullet says 10 cm and about 45 matches, and it names a safety strike strip on the box. One review says the matches received were 90 mm and that the buyer had expected 15 cm, so the bullet and the parcel did not describe the same stick. The title says Bryant & May, the manufacturer field says Blissify, and the country of origin says Sweden. Wind-resistant is asked on the page and left unanswered. At about £1.75 a box it is dearer than the pack of two and the other five-box row. Treat the 10 cm line as a household length near that figure, not as a 15 cm or 280 mm fireside match.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A buyer who wants five boxes and will accept a household stick near 10 cm rather than 15 cm.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a measured 15 cm spill, or the lowest price per box in this set.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these 10 cm or 15 cm?
The bullet says 10 cm. One review says the matches received were 90 mm and that the buyer had expected 15 cm.
Are they wind-resistant?
The listing asks whether they are wind-resistant and does not answer. Wind-resistant is not stated.
Who is the manufacturer on the listing?
The title says Bryant & May. The manufacturer field says Blissify, and the country of origin says Sweden.
Shelf prices, stars, review counts and listing claims are the five amazon.co.uk rows stored on 21 October 2026. This desk did not strike the matches. A badge sorts those listings. It is not a laboratory award and not a certificate to BS EN 1783. Stars are capped at 50, review volume at 25, and stated length, count and use at 15. Listing conflicts are then deducted. The weights below include that check so they sum to 100. Price is outside the score, so best value need not be the top pick. The highest score is the top pick.
Amazon stars
50%Stars divided by 5, times 50, rounded. A 4.7 becomes 47. A 4.6 becomes 46. A 5.0 becomes 50. This is the amazon.co.uk line in the saved listing, not a laboratory score.
Review volume
25%25 at 1,000 reviews or more, 20 from 500 to 999, 12 from 50 to 499, 3 from 10 to 49, and 0 under 10. A 5.0 from two reviews cannot outrank a 4.7 from several hundred.
Stated specification
15%15 when length, count and a listed use are all stated. 10 when length and a use are stated and the count is not. 8 when a review contradicts the stated length. 6 when the box count is stated and the length is not. 2 when length, count and use are all unstated.
Listing conflicts
10%Cuts after the three caps. A brand or scent field that clashes with the title is −2. Thin stems that snap are −4. A short-count extra box is −5. A buyer who wanted 15 cm and reported 90 mm is −4. Fewer than 10 reviews and no review text is −15. Price is not scored.
Buy the stated length and the box count before the word extra long. A household safety match lights on its own strip. Jar candles and wood burners want a stated stick of about 94–100 mm. A kitchen drawer can live with a shorter box. An unanswered waterproof line is not a feature, and a 5.0 from two reviews is not proof.
A household match is a wooden safety match. The oxidiser is on the head and red phosphorus is on the strip, so a wall is the wrong surface. You buy one to reach a sunken candle wick, to catch kindling, or to light the back of a stove. On amazon.co.uk the real split is a stated extra-long stick of about 94–100 mm, or a much cheaper bulk of shorter boxes. Stars in this category sit in a narrow band, so length, box count and listing gaps matter more than a tenth of a star.
Extra-long here is the 94–100 mm band. A bullet of 10 cm is not a 15 cm spill, and one review of that listing measured 90 mm. It is also not a fireside match around 280 mm.
Cooks is 5.0 from 2 reviews and the saved file has no review text. Ship is 4.7 from 1,627. Volume comes before a tenth of a star. The Car Starters rank on the bulk pack is not a product description.
Unanswered questions about waterproof and windproof are not features. Firelighters, strike-anywhere matches, storm matches, striker stickers and empty holders are outside this set. A brand-field clash is a listing conflict, not proof the sticks are fake.
Jar candles, lanterns and wood burners want a stated extra-long safety match. A kitchen drawer or a power-cut cupboard can live with a shorter box. In this set the stated household lengths are about 94 mm, 95 mm and a 10 cm bullet that one review measured at 90 mm. The brand site says over 9 cm. Two boxes state no length. Extra-long listings that print a count say about 45 per pack. “Approx” is not a guaranteed piece count. A buyer who counted the bulk boxes reported an average of 38–39.
All five titles are safety matches. They are not sold as strike-anywhere, waterproof or windproof. Three titles say Bryant & May while the fields say EMBO, Blissify or Riverbank Retail. Only the five-box pack with the small extra box names Swedish Match Company as manufacturer. Swedish Match owns the brand. Show the mismatch and do not call the sticks fake. A 5.0 from two reviews with no text cannot lead a 4.7 from 752 or from 1,627. These listings show no certificate to BS EN 1783.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a stated extra-long safety match for a sunken wick, a lantern, or the back of a stove, and two boxes are enough. The Bryant & May extra-long pack of two is the top pick at about £2.00, score 80: about 94 mm, about 45 per pack, 4.7 from 752 reviews. The brand field says EMBO. It is not a 280 mm fireside match.
You want many ordinary boxes for a kitchen drawer or a power-cut cupboard, and you can accept a shorter stick. Ship is best value at about £6.88 for 100 boxes, score 74, with 4.7 from 1,627 reviews. Dividing by 100 is about 7p a box, a rule of thumb. Length is not stated, and a later batch is described as thin enough to snap.
You want more than two stated long boxes for candles, deep jars and a wood burner. The five-box pack with a 95 mm bullet is about £7.99, score 70, with 4.7 from 854 reviews. The small added box is not a sixth extra-long pack. One review says it was a short-count Swan box. The count in each long box is not stated.
The top pick is the Bryant & May extra-long pack of two at about £2.00. It scores 80, the highest here: about 94 mm, about 45 per pack, a listed use for candles, log burners, BBQs and open fires, and 4.7 from 752 reviews. The brand and manufacturer fields say EMBO, and a scent field says Hickory. Best value is the Ship 100-box bulk at about £6.88, score 74, with 4.7 from 1,627 reviews. Length is unstated, and thin stems are the deduction. It is best value for ordinary short boxes, not the top pick for reach. The five-box row at about £8.75 does not take a badge: a review measured 90 mm against a 10 cm bullet.
Ship safety matches, 100 boxes
About £6.88 for 100 boxes, about 7p a box as a rule of thumb, with 4.7 from 1,627 reviews. Length is unstated.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test.
